IATA Comment with Respect to Heathrow Closing on 21 March 2025

 “Today’s closing of Heathrow will inconvenience a huge number of travelers. We thank those affected for their patience as airlines focus on getting them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible.

This is yet another case of Heathrow letting down both travelers and airlines. And that begs some serious questions. Firstly, how is it that critical infrastructure—of national and global importance—is totally dependent on a single power source without an alternative. If that is the case—as it seems—then it is a clear planning failure by the airport. And, from that arises the question of who bears the costs of taking care of disrupted travelers. We must find a fairer allocation of passenger care costs than airlines alone picking up the tab when infrastructure fails. Until that happens, Heathrow has very little incentive to improve,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

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IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 340 airlines comprising over 80% of global air traffic.